Farmers & Merchants bank robbed, suspect at large

Police were still searching for a bank robbery suspect Tuesday afternoon in the Los Altos neighborhood in East Long Beach.

At about 11:55 a.m., officers from the Long Beach Police Department were dispatched to Farmers & Merchants Bank in the 2300 block of Bellflower Boulevard where it was reported a man had “forcibly removed” money from two tellers’ drawers, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Aaron Eaton.

No weapon was seen by witnesses, and there were no injuries, he said.

The suspect fled into a nearby neighborhood, Eaton said. Officers searched the perimeter for the suspect, but the man had not been found.

About 10 officers and a canine unit began investigating a nearby apartment complex, where they believed the suspect had fled.

Detectives are reviewing security camera footage from the bank to determine a better description of the suspect, Eaton said.

The robber was described as a 50-year-old man, possibly Hispanic, said Laura Eimiller of the FBI. His face was covered with a gray bandana, and he was wearing a black straw hat and gray clothing, including a long-sleeved gray shirt, gray pants and gloves. He was also described by witnesses as having plastic wrapped around his right hand, possibly to conceal a weapon.

Eimiller said the suspect threatened to kill an employee if the victims didn’t comply with his commands.

Jan Ingerle, a customer inside the bank at the time of the incident, described the suspect as having an “obscured face” and that he told everyone inside the bank to stay where they were. She said the suspect climbed over the counter and took money from two tellers.

“He was in and out of there in five minutes,” Ingerle said.

Eaton said the FBI will get involved with the case, as they do with all bank robberies, and will work alongside LBPD detectives.

Two nearby schools were locked down during the incident.

Prisk Elementary School near the bank was locked down for about an hour starting at noon as a precaution, according to the school's front office. Stanford Middle School was also on lockdown for an hour and a half, from about noon to 1:30 p.m.

Eaton said those with information about the crime should contact the LBPD Robbery Detail at 562-570-7464. Anonymous tips may also be submitted to LACrimeStoppers.org.